DRINK DRIVING PENALTIES

Drink Driving Consequences – Penalties, Fines, Imprisonment & Licence

The penalties for drink/drunk driving can be very harsh, as Victoria has some of the toughest mandatory penalties for drink driving offences in Australia.

Consequences of drink driving can include fines, loss of licence, alcohol interlock devices. People with a prior for a drink driving offence or a current DUI offence can also be sentenced to jail.

The loss of licence/disqualifications can be lengthy and, even after you get your licence back, most people will have to have an alcohol interlock fitted to their car for a lengthy period of time (at least 6 months).

The flow on consequences for drink driving can be even more severe. Losing a licence can have an impact on your employment and family and the ongoing toll of not having a licence can often be a worse punishment then paying a significant fine.

The maximum available sentences will only be imposed in the most severe of cases. So even though jail might be available as a maximum sentence, that doesn’t automatically mean that you will go to jail.

There are a number of factors which contribute to the penalty you are likely to receive for your drink driving offence. These include:

The type of offence

The date you committed the offence

Your age at the time of the offence

Whether you held a full or probationary licence

Whether it is your first or subsequent offence

Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level

Whether you are facing other charges as well (such as having a car accident or speeding)

Whether your pleaded guilty early, or whether you were found guilty by a Magistrate

Contact a lawyer to get advice about your particular case, they will be able to advise you of the likely penalty you will face.